LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

lucerna

lucerna f (genitive lucernae)
Classical[ɫʊˈkɛr.na]Ecclesiastical[luˈt͡ʃɛr.na]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. femininea lamp, an oil lamp
    quoniam nōn habent futūrōrum spem malī et lucerna impiōrum extinguēturFor evil men have no hope of things to come, and the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. (trans. Douay-Rheims Bible)4th century CE, Jerome of Stridon (St. Jerome), Vulgate, Proverbia 24:20

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

parvum vās cum oleō et igne, quod lūcem dat; nocte lucernam accendimus.
lucerna -ae f — in Mille Verba, Domus et Familia

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Candela · Lucerna

Candela is a candle, which can be carried about like a torch, as λαμπάς, whereas lucerna can only be considered as a burning light on a table, like λύχνος. (vi. 50.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativelucernalucernae
genitivelucernaelucernārum
dativelucernaelucernīs
accusativelucernamlucernās
ablativelucernālucernīs
vocativelucernalucernae

lŭcerna, ae, f. luc-erna, from luceo, q. v.; with double suffix like caverna, laverna, lanterna, etc.; cf. Gr. κέ-αρνον, σκέπαρνον,
I. a lamp, oil-lamp.
I. Lit.: lucerna dicta a luce, aut quod id vocant Graeci λύχνον, Varr. L. L. 5, § 119 Müll.: lucernam forte oblitus fueram extinguere, Plaut. Most. 2, 2, 56: in sole lucernam adhibere nihil interest, Cic. Fin. 4, 12, 29: lucerna me deserit, my light goes out, id. Att. 7, 7, 7: vino et lucernis Medus acinaces Immane quantum discrepat, i. e. evening entertainments, Hor. C. 1, 27, 5: accedit numerus lucernis, the lights begin to seem double, id. S. 2, 1, 25; cf.: cum geminis exsurgit mensa lucernis, Juv. 6, 305: pereundum est ante lucernas, before candle-light, id. 10, 339: lucernam accendere, Phaedr. 3, 19, 4: turpis fumo lucernae, Juv. 6, 131: lucerna ardens exstinguitur, Plin. 31, 3, 28, § 49: fungi lucernarum, id. 28, 11, 46, § 163: pinguem nebulam vomuere lucernae, Pers. 5, 181: lucerna splendens super candelabrum, Vulg. Sir. 26, 22.—
II. Transf.
A. Nocturnal labor, lucubration (poet.): haec ego non credam Venusina digna Lucerna? Juv. 1, 51.—
B. A guide, instructor: quia mandatum lucerna est, Vulg. Prov. 6, 23; id. 2 Sam. 2, 29: lucerna pedibus meis verbum tuum, id. Psa. 118, 105.—
C. A phosphorescent fish, Plin. 9, 27, 43, § 82.

Origins

From lūceō (“shine, be a light”). The suffix -erna, found also in lanterna, is of disputed origin, though resembles suffixes in Etruscan; compare also Latin -urnus.

Elsewhere
  • Catalanlluerna
  • Italianlucerna
  • Occitanluzerno
  • Frenchluzernefrom Occitan luzerno
  • Englishlucernefrom Occitan luzerno
  • Occitanlusèrna
  • Portugueseluzernafrom Old Galician-Portuguese luzerna
  • Portugueselucernafrom Old Galician-Portuguese luzerna
  • Spanishluciérnaga
  • GermanLuzerne
Proto-Brythonic
  • Bretonlugernfrom Old Breton lucarn
  • Cornishlugarnfrom Old Cornish lugarn
  • Welshllugornfrom Middle Welsh llugyrn

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesLucernaLucerna (λύχνος), an oil lamp. The Greeks and Romans originally used candles; but in later times candles were chiefly confined to the houses of the lo…

Quick answers

What does lucerna mean in Latin?
lucerna, a noun, means “a lamp, an oil lamp”.
What is the genitive of lucerna?
The genitive singular is lucernae. lucerna is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce lucerna?
In classical Latin, [ɫʊˈkɛr.na]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [luˈt͡ʃɛr.na].